Fifth-wheel



(No Model.)

S. HIGDON.

FIFTH WHEEL. No. 302,486. Patented July 22,1884.

1N VEZVT OR N. PETERS. Phmvmho 'mr. Washington. at;

FFQE

Parent SAMUEL HIGDON, on GENTRYVILLE, MIssoURI.

' FIFTH-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 302,486, dated July 22, 1884.

Application filed October 12, 1883.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL Hrcnon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gentryville, in the county of Gentry and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful In1- provements in Vehicle-Couplings and Fifth NVheels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to fifth-wheels for vehicles; and it consists in the improvements hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is an inverted plan of a fifth-wheel constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the reach.

0 is the reach or bolster, which is secured at its front end to the head-block b.

h is a brace, which is secured at its rear end on the upper side of the reach and at its front end to the upper side of the head-block I) by means of a bolt, 70. A metallic plate, m, is bolted on the under side of the reach, and is provided integrally with side extensions, which rest on the under side of the head-block and are bolted thereto. Yoke-bolts a clamp the leaf spring or springs on the upper side of the head-block, and are secured by means of plates 0, having perforations through which the threaded ends of the said yoke-bolts pass, and are secured by nuts 12. A ring-platform, q, is bolted at its rear portion to the reach by means of the bolt 8 and at its sides by a bolt passing through the end portions of the headblock.

A spider-frame, A, consisting of the front arms, t, and rear arms, u, has a hub, B, at its center, perforated for the passage of the kingbolt 0, the front end of a curved brace, f, being perforated, and resting beneath the said hub B, so that it can contribute to the support of said hub by reason of the king-bolt passing through said brace, the hub, and through the reach, and secured by a nut, o.

The brace f is bent to form a depending loop,

(No model.)

higher plane than the arm '6, and are flattened and perforated to form heads, which are bolted to the lower ring-platform, i, a short distance at either side of the loop 0. The bolts which pass through the heads t of the arms 15 also bolt the ring-platform 'i to the axle. The ring-platform 17 registers with the platform q, as shown in Fig. 2, and the said platforms are suspended by passing through the loop 6, as shown in Fig. 2. A clip, d, secured to the under side of the ring 2', extends up and over, so as to embrace the platform q and guide the same with regard to the said platform From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the pivotal center of the fifth-wheel is arranged at the rear of the axle, instead of immediately above the same, as heretofore, thus obviating the necessity of arranging the parts so as to project beyond the front of the axle. Moreover, the spider-frame furnishes an efficient means for connecting the lower ring-platform with the axle and pivotal bolt, and at the same time the connection of the rear arms, a, is such that in the movements of said lower platform, 2', they act as stops by abutting alternately against the loop e.

By constructing the spider-frame of a single piece the same may be cheaply and readily produced by casting, and, what is more, asingle bolt-perforation is only necessary to insure the pivotal connection of said spider-frame, so that the arms ta thereof may operate in different planes, re-enforce one another against strain, and result in each positively responding to any movement upon the part of the other, and thus insure the effective operation of the fifth-wheel.

' The form and arrangement of the brace f enable the same to serve as a brace for the spider-frame and as a suspending means for the rear portions of the platforms.

2 I sense I claim 1. The combination, in a fifth-whcel, of the ring-platforms secured, respectively, to the reach or head-block, as described, and to the axle by means of the pivoted spider-frame, consisting of a single piece of metal, and having its arms arranged in different planes, as specified, a loop supporting the ring-platforms at the rear, and the rear arms of the spiderframe connected to one of the platforms to abut against the said loop when the ring moves, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a fifth-wheel, of the ring-platforms secured, respectively, to the reach or head-block, as described, and to the axle by means of the spider-'l'rame, consisting SAMUEL I IIGDON.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN T. HAYNns, SILAS A. RIGGS. 

